Block of the month

Vladimir Putin's enemies are keeping a close eye on a bird in pointe shoes, because a broadcast of "Swan Lake" may reveal his demise. The ballet—a more-than-century-old staple of our own highbrow culture—is one of Russia's most famous contributions to the arts. It is a work that contains all the pathos and depth of the modern Russian nation, a dark story with a tragic ending. (Or a happy one, if one delves deeper in the ballet's evolution.) It's also a secret key to the state of things in the Kremlin. Swan Lake has all the elements of a modern-day binge-able series: young, scantily dressed women, a winged sorcerer, an evil stepmother, a handsome prince, a double suicide. On March 3rd, Swan Lake played a role in the Ukraine war, when State authorities in Moscow shut down Russia's youth-focused, independent and often Kremlin-critical TV Rain. The staff walked off the set and asserted their power to have the last word through Tchaikovsky's dramatic music and the disciplined dancing of … [Read more...] about Is Putin dead? Pay attention when Russia starts broadcasting “Swan Lake”

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has claimed on Twitter the federal government has spent more on Ukraine in the past six months than it has on road infrastructure annually. Massie was one of 57 members of the House of Representatives who voted against the package, which was later blocked in the Senate by one dissenting vote from Senator Rand Paul . It is still widely expected to pass later this week. The member for Kentucky took to Twitter to justify the grounds for his vote by comparing the U.S.' recent aid spend on Ukraine against its annual commitment to domestic infrastructure. The Claim House Rep Thomas Massie (R-KY) tweeted about his reasoning for voting against the $40 billion aid package for Ukraine on Tuesday, May 10. In the tweet, Massie claimed that Congress had spent more on Ukraine in the past six months than it spends on U.S. road and bridges infrastructure annually. In an emailed response to Newsweek , Massie clarified the tweet: "The … [Read more...] about Fact Check: Did Congress spend more on Ukraine than U.S. roads and bridges?

One day after the draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe vs. Wade leaked, Pennsylvania Democrat Josh Shapiro declared that his bid to become governor was the only thing preventing Republicans from restricting abortion access in the state. “The next governor is going to have a bill on their desk that will restrict or outlaw abortion rights, and they will have a decision as to whether to sign it or veto it,” he told reporters this month. “I will, of course, veto it. My opponents would sign it.” If the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision guaranteeing protection of abortion rights is overturned, abortion policy will be set by states, where Republicans hold the majority of legislatures and governorships. But in a handful of states, particularly Pennsylvania and Kansas, the winner of the November gubernatorial races could have a significant impact, vetoing or signing into law abortion legislation that would affect millions of people of reproductive age both in their … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania governor’s race could have outsize impact on abortion access

Many Sri Lankans thronged buses in the main city Colombo on Thursday to return to their hometowns during a brief relaxation in curfew, imposed after the prime minister quit and went into hiding and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa warned of anarchy. The island nation off India's southern tip, which overlooks shipping routes between Europe and Asia, is battling its worst economic crisis since independence. Violence erupted on Monday after supporters of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president's elder brother, attacked an anti-government protest camp in Colombo. Days of violent reprisals against government figures aligned to the powerful Rajapaksa clan followed. The army was called out to patrol the streets and police said 9 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the clashes. Security forces have been ordered to shoot to prevent violence and looting. Hundreds of people thronged the main bus station in Colombo after authorities lifted an indefinite curfew at 7 … [Read more...] about Sri Lanka: Hundreds Flee Colombo as Crisis Persists

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 LONDON (AP) — The British government dramatically escalated a fight with the European Union on Tuesday by saying it will pass a law to scrap parts of the trade treaty signed by the two sides less than two years ago. Britain says its move to change the legally binding treaty — an apparent breach of international law — is an insurance policy in case it can’t reach agreement with the bloc to end a long-running dispute over post-Brexit trade rules. “Our preference is to reach a negotiated outcome with the EU,” said Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. The announcement drew a sharp response from the EU, which has long accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of trying to wriggle out of a deal that his government negotiated and signed as part of the U.K.’s exit from the bloc in 2020. The spat raises the chances of a trade war between Britain and the 27-nation bloc that is — even after Brexit — its major … [Read more...] about UK raises stakes in EU feud with threat to break Brexit deal

close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for May 17 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! A 17-year-old in Maryland has been charged with murder months after his high school classmate was reported missing and turned up dead in a shallow creek days later with multiple stab wounds. Ta’Quawn Deon Henderson, 17, of Germantown, Maryland, was charged through an arrest warrant issued on May 12 with first-degree murder and turned himself in three days later at the Montgomery County Police 1st District Station late Sunday. He is being charged as an adult in the gruesome stabbing death of his fellow classmate at Northwest High School, 17-year-old Jailyn Jones. Jones’ body was found on Jan. 24 in a small creek in the 18900 block of Grotto Lane in Germantown with multiple stab wounds to his head and torso, Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones told reporters … [Read more...] about Maryland teen charged in murder of missing high school classmate who turned up stabbed to death in creek

By CHRIS MEGERIAN WASHINGTON (AP) — When Joe Biden talks about his decision to run against President Donald Trump in 2020, the story always starts with Charlottesville. He says it was the men with torches shouting bigoted slogans that drove him to join what he calls the “battle for the soul of America.” Now Biden is facing the latest deadly manifestation of hatred after a white supremacist targeted Black people with an assault rifle at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, and left 10 people dead, the most lethal racist attack since he took office. The president and first lady Jill Biden are to visit the city on Tuesday, where their first stop will be a makeshift memorial outside the supermarket. They’re also expected to meet privately with families of the victims, first responders and local officials before the president delivers public remarks. In a speech at a nearby community center, Biden plans to call for stricter gun laws and urge Americans to reject racism and embrace … [Read more...] about In Buffalo, Biden to confront the racism he’s vowed to fight

An Australian man was rushed to hospital last week after being bitten by a deadly snake that slithered into his car while he went for a swim. The incident occurred at Back Creek Park in Millmerran, a town in the Toowoomba Region of Queensland, after the victim left his car's door open and was attacked after returning to the vehicle, 7News reported . The man, 54, has not been named by law enforcement. After being bitten, the victim attempted to contact the local emergency services but "wasn't too sure where he was," Sergeant Steven Ryan told 7News. The man, who was with his pet dog at the time, made a makeshift tourniquet but was only saved after another driver spotted his vehicle's hazard lights had been switched on. The victim was found lying by the roadside and then airlifted to Millmerran Hospital. He was administered anti-venom and is expected to survive. The snake responsible for the unexpected bite is believed to have been an eastern brown or a death adder, officials … [Read more...] about Australian who ‘wasn’t sure where he was’ lucky to be alive after bite from highly venomous snake hiding in his car

Soon Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) will wear a new look with the laying of the 400-metre synthetic track, the first in new Andhra Pradesh, according to varsity Physical Director Y. Kishore, here on Friday. The long-cherished dream of athletes from Krishna and Guntur is all set to be realised as the survey to lay the track will be completed in a couple of weeks and in the next five months the all-weather track will be ready for the athletes to dash off the starting-blocks. “The track will be laid by National Building Construction Corporation Limited (NBCCL), an empanelled outfit of the Government of India, with an estimated cost of Rs. 6.86 crore. The Ministry of Sports has sanctioned Rs. 5.5 crore and the rest is funded by the varsity,” says Mr. Kishore, from the sidelines of the Central Zone Inter-State Badminton Tournament held at the varsity indoor stadium. The track, once laid, will attract many premier events, both national and international, as the varsity is centrally … [Read more...] about Synthetic track at ANU next summer

LONDON — The British government dramatically escalated a fight with the European Union on Tuesday by saying it will pass a law to scrap parts of the trade treaty signed by the two sides less than two years ago. Britain says its move to singlehandedly change the legally binding treaty — an apparent breach of international law — is an insurance policy in case it can’t reach agreement with the bloc to end a long-running dispute over post-Brexit trade rules . “Our preference is to reach a negotiated outcome with the E.U.,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said. The announcement drew a sharp response from the E.U., which has long accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of trying to wriggle out of a deal that his government negotiated and signed as part of the U.K.’s exit in 2020. The spat raises the chances of a trade war between Britain and the 27-nation bloc that is — even after Brexit — its major economic partner. “Unilateral actions contradicting an international agreement are … [Read more...] about U.K. threatens to break Brexit deal, raising stakes in E.U. feud over Northern Ireland